SPECTACLEFEST 2007 Dining Reviews--with pics! Updated 10/31, Day 5, page 4 #53

[Booknut]

Great photos, i'm gutted we never got to try Alfredo di Roma...the new Tutto Italia menu is horrible compared to Alfredo's...

Loving the reviews

 

[butterfly8]

Another for ABC Commissary from our family too! We don't understand what all the fuss is about either. Why all the hostility?

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

I'm very much enjoying your review!

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

What I'm trying to do is figure the difference between what I'm paying to do the DDP in 07 vs. what the cost would be to eat the same food on the 08 version of the DDP--e.g., the tips/appetizers on the 07 DDP we'd have to pay for on the 08 version of the DDP.

The cost for the 1 CS meal we're doing OOP (the Pop Century meal) would be the same whether we were doing the 07 version of the DDP or the 08 version of the DDP, so I didn't factor that in. I hope that makes sense--and thanks for the kind words.

I think you misunderstood what the PP was saying. It wasn't about your OOP meal at POP - but the rest of your CS meals eaten on the DP. In your calculations, you don't say how much they (the CS) were "costing", showing only the "cost" of your meals for the day to be the TS meals you eat. Then your OOP total is, understandably, what you would spend on appetizer and tip in 2008's plan - but your only calculation for the price of dinner is just the price of the plan. The total cost should also include the CS in some way - or at least just list it somewhere. That way it shows that you are saving or not saving, but it's actually listed instead of just guessed or making it falsely seem, in most instances, like the DDP is costing you more than you would pay OOP.

I was confused reading it the first time, too, but I realized that your CS meals were probably running around $40 so you'd come in just a hair ahead on DDP '08. *sigh* that it is not as good.... but still a savings in the cases you have listed and it should be told as such.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying your reviews and am appreciative of your breakdowns! What dedication to us DISsers taking pics on your cell - thanks! Keep 'em coming!

 

[Dis Ohana]

Great reviews and pics! I read your reviews last year and I'm enjoying this one just as much.

 

[IWISHFORDISNEY]

GREAT Reviews once again. I loved them last year too. I understand what you are trying to do with the math. The counterservice meal is bascially a wash since you got it in 07 and in 08. You are adding the difference if you pay for an appy and tip to the cost of the plan. I guess my thought would be... Would you share an appy and not order so many if they were not included. Therefore it is probably skewed a bit. I find the 08 plan to be not worth it in our case just due to the tip alone. We were barely breaking even on the 07 version of the plan. We do alot of buffett/character meals so it is hardly a bargain for us just convienient.

 

[Praying Colonel]

Let me start with an apology. Sorry it's been so long since I posted an update--I've been dealing with a case of the shingles for a few weeks. Better now, and I'm ready to get back in the swing of things.

This day was a MK day, all day. And for us, no MK day is complete without a visit to Aloha Isle for a Dole Whip.

We arrived about 10:50 a.m., but they weren't open yet. While we waited for the shutters to open, we chatted with a member of the Dream Squad. We had a nice talk, but no dream at that time. Oh, well...

We were first to be served that day. DW and I had Dole Whips

while DS and DNeph had Dole Floats.

The Dole Whips were soft-serve vanilla ice cream with tangy pineapple taste blended in. Even at 11 a.m., the heat and humidity was in full effect on that August day. The Dole Whips were real pick-me-ups. They must put pixie dust in the things, because we always come away refreshed and ready to take off for some more touring. It was DNeph's first Dole Float, and he gave it his seal of approval:

Lunch that day was at Cosmic Rays. We arrived around 12:15 and found manageable lines. We planned on "stretching" our CS credits so we could have 2 left for sharing in our last day in the park (Saturday of Labor Day weekend). We decided Cosmic Rays was a great choice for sharing. The burgers are huge, the fixins bar is even "huger" , so we ordered 2 bacon double cheeseburger meals and split them among the 4 of us.

The burgers were warm and fresh as if they'd come right off the grill. The fries were hot, too. I loaded my 1/2 burger with tomatoes, lettuce, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, pickles, ketchup and mustard. Great burger--don't think I could've eaten a whole one, not with all the fixins!

For dessert, DS and DNeph split a triple chocolate cake

and DW and I split a carrot cake.

They were pre-packaged, but our group really enjoyed them, anyway. The carrot cake was moist and had a nice cream-chese topping. I really enjoyed it. The boys enjoyed the triple-chocolate cake. DNeph even went slow on his burger so he could have room for cake. Isn't he a great planner?

Cosmic Rays is my favorite CS restaurant in the MK, and once again it did not disappoint. Wish they had the cheese back on the fixins bar, but other than that, they came through again.

After our afternoon break, we returned to MK for a 5:10 ADR at Crystal Palace.

We'd never eaten here before. DW usually doesn't like buffets because she doesn't like feeling so stuffed afterward. But she's also a big fan of Pooh and his friends, so we thought we'd give it a go.

We were worried we'd made a mistake when we arrived around 5:00. There was a crowd spilling out onto the porch and a line about 10 deep to check in. In spite of this, our names were called around 5:15--not bad at all.

When we were seated by our server, a nice lady who comes from a town about 30 minutes from my hometown, she let us know the basic pattern the characters took when they were making the rounds. That let us know if we had time to grab another plate before a character arrived, very important info.

We started with a trip to the salad bar:

^DNeph's plate: Tossed salad with ranch dressing, peel and eat shrimp

^My plate, clockwise from top: hearts of palm salad with coucous, peel and eat shrimp, cranberry rolls and mozzallera-and-tomato salad, with a dab of pulled pork in the middle

The salads were great. Several different choices--more than your basic garden salad. It was well-stocked and very tasty. The rolls were awesome (as you can tell from my having 2 on my plate!)--there were several different choices, but I liked the cranberry rolls. They were grainy, with pieces of cranberries in them. Fresh baked and still warm. The flavored butters were nice, too. I put chipotle butter on mine--you wouldn't think it would go with a cranberry roll, but the sweet and spicy went very well together.

There were some nice choices among the entrees and side dishes, too.

^My plate, clockwise from top: spoon bread, pasta alfredo, blackened mahi mahi, pulled pork, prime rib with a veal demiglace, cranberry relish, more pulled pork

^DNeph's plate, clockwise from top: roll with chipotle butter, chicken tenders, cheese pizza and blackened mahi mahi

DW's plate, clockwise from top: cranberry relish, blackened salmon, pasta alfredo, garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli, sauteed onions and mushrooms and spoon bread

(In the midst of all the eating and character greeting, we didn't get a pic of DS' plate.)

We were all impressed with the variety, the fact that it was still warm and didn't appear picked through, and that everything had a little twist to it. The mashed potatoes had roasted garlic in them, the cranberry relish was like a chutney, with mangoes and other tangy ingredients, the spoon bread was spicy and the demiglace for the prime rib gave it a nice savoriness. The only thing that wasn't a huge hit was the blackened salmon or mahi mahi. It was lukewarm and the blackening didn't add much flavor. It was also a little mushy. But other than that, the entree/side dishes were big hits.

So big, in fact, that we were way too full for dessert. We each got a little something. The boys got small ice cream sundaes, and DW and I each had some coconut flan. It was awesome--thick, creamy custard with sweet coconut giving it a tropical feel. I wish I'd saved more room for dessert--maybe next time.

All the while, the characters were making the rounds, and did so very efficiently. We were here about an hour and 15 minutes, and all of the characters made it around during that time. They were well-spaced throughout the meal, coming by every 10-15 minutes or so. We didn't get the feeling that we had to rush through our meal to see them, or that we had to linger a long time after we were finished, waiting for them to come. They did a nice job of pacing.

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed our time here. This was an above-average buffet, with lots of nice variety in it to give it a change of pace. Combine that with the character interaction, and this was a big hit. We'll come back again (I hope--if DW can get over her buffet-a-phobia ).

The cost for this meal OOP for the 4 of us would've been $118.68, excluding tip. If we were on the 2008 version of the DDP, we would've had to pay about $21 for the tip OOP. Add to that the $134 we would've had to pay OOP for appetizers/tips on this trip so far, and at this point we'd be paying $155 more OOP in 08 to have the same dining experience we'd had so far on this August 07 trip.

Next: A rare Disney dining disappointment

 

[jennymouse]

Thanks for the reviews, Colonel! Sorry about the shingles; boy those aren't any fun. Dad had a bout of it a couple months ago. Thankfully, just around his waist.

Go Cats!

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

glad you're feeling better!!

thanks again for the great reviews!

I think I might have to try CP....

 

[lexmelinda]

Hi, Praying Colonel!

I don't know if you remember me. We pm'd a couple of times re: your advice on directions to WDW. Anyway, I loved your reviews last year and I have to say this year's reviews are just as good!

We ate at a lot of the same restaurants as you did this year. We also liked Flame Tree (in the absence of Tusker House) and we loved Kona again. Sadly the crab cakes have been removed from the menu and the Kilauea Torte as we know it is gone as well.

Thanks for the CP review. I've always wondered how the buffet food is as we don't usually go to buffets but now they seem to make more sense since our appetizers have been taken away for 2008.

I also love the 07/08 comparison. I've been wondering about the figures but just haven't worked up the energy to do the math. So thanks!

One more thing.....how 'bout those CATS!

 

[Praying Colonel]

Hi Melinda! Sure, I remember you. Yep, the Cats are doing well this year. Hopefully they'll shake off that ugly loss to Mississippi State last Saturday.

And thanks for the kind words, everybody--another day of reviews is coming today.

 

[mom2fivecs]

subscribing...great reviews so far.

 

[mindyd]

Great Reviews

 

[Praying Colonel]

Our gang really likes Columbia Harbour House.

It's a nice change of pace if you're tired of burgers and fries. Plus, we've found in the past that it's not quite as busy as other CS restaurants.

Apparently the word's getting out on CHH, however. We arrived around 11:30, hoping to beat the lunch rush, but found it very busy already. They opened a new station and took our order after a wait of a few minutes. Apparently the folks cooking the food were behind on some items, however, because it took almost 10 minutes for them to prepare our order and bring it to us.

DS and DNeph had the combo basket

while DW and I had the half sandwich and bowl of soup.

The basket was chicken strips, fried fish and fries. The wait for the food was worth it, IMHO, because these items were crispy and HOT, like they were right out of the fryer. They weren't overly greasy, either. Good, basic, American, artery-clogging, fried food.

DW and I thoroughly enjoyed our soup and sandwich. It was very hot and humid that day, and I just didn't feel like fried food. The sandwich looked like it had just been made. Everything was fresh, and the lettuce and tomato was cool, like it had just been taken out of the fridge and sliced. The ham was tender and sweet.

I'm guessing the clam chowder was not made from scratch in the restaurant, but it sure tasted like it. The clams in the chowder were plentiful and not tough, and there was some herb in it (parsley?) that added a little extra.

For dessert, the guys all got the chocolate cake

while DW got the apple crisp.

DW definitely won. The chocolate cake was your basic Disney pre-packaged chocolate cake--OK, but nothing special. Her apple crisp looked fresh-made, with a flaky crust and chunks of sliced apples and a cinnamony filling. She could only eat half, and she was nice enough to share with me.

So even though we had to wait a little longer than usual to get our food, we thought it was worth the wait. This is a very good CS restaurant and we'll definitely return.

Our TS meal that day was one that we were all looking forward to experiencing--Narcoosees at the Grand Floridian. We'd never eaten at a Signature restaurant, and based on the reviews we'd read here on the DIS, we decided to pay OOP for CS one evening and use 2 TS credits to try Narcoosees. We booked a 9:10 ADR, hoping to see Wishes here at 10.

We arrived around 9 and were given a beeper to wait. We went outside and sat on the bench, enjoying the cooler evening air and the view of the lake. Our beeper went off around 9:15 and we went inside.

We were hoping for a table next to a window, but we didn't get it. That was fine, though, because the table we received was positioned so that we still had a great view of the MK for the upcoming fireworks. Narcoosee's is generally arranged with a lower tier of tables, with one row along the windows and another row back a few feet behind those. Then there's a top tier of tables above that. Even if you're not sitting right at a window, there's a still a good chance you're going to have a good viewing spot. While we were waiting for our server, the water pageant came by--it was our first time seeing it, and it was very enjoyable to watch. And later, we had a great view of Wishes. Nobody was standing or sitting on the bench outside the window where we were viewing Wishes, so we had a relatively unobstructed view, and it was a magic moment for us.

Our server was--well, it's hard to describe--she seemed odd. She had this huge, plastic smile, like she was trying to overdo it. The smile wasn't there at all if she was speaking, but then she immediately went right back to this overly full smile, like someone was taking her picture and she was doing one of those fake "cheeeeeeeese" smiley poses. And when she came to take our drink order we asked if the lobster was on the DDP, she rolled her eyes and said "I'm afraid so." Just--odd. Service from her would continue to be odd throughout our meal.

For our appetizers, DW ordered the artisan cheeses

DS had the Narcoosees chowder

DNeph had the chilled shrimp

while I had the fried oysters.

While we were waiting for our apps, we were given bread and butter.

The oysters were breaded a little too heavily for my liking, but they were still very good. They weren't tough, were warm, tasted sweet and the breading had a peppery seasoning that was very tasty. They came with two dipping sauces, one that was creamy and spicy, like a chipotle. The other was like a teriyaki--soy with a little sweet. Overall, a nice appetizer.

DW loved her artisan cheeses. This is her kind of food--little bits of different tastes and textures. The accompaniments and the walnut toast made the appetizer, she thought.

DS loved his chowder. Although it was listed as a chowder, the soup looked and tasted more like a bisque, with chunks of fish and seafood throughout. It was warm and full of flavor. He loves soup, and he was not disappointed with this.

Although DNeph wasn't too sure about the stuff that came with his shrimp , he liked the shrimp themselves. He said they were plump and juicy.

While waiting for our appetizer, DW decided she'd like a glass of wine with her appetizer. She told our server this when the server brought the appetizers to our table, and this was the beginning of a series of significant delays in bringing items to our table. It took the server about 15 minutes to return with the glass of wine. The server then took our finished appetizer plates and stayed gone for about another 15 minutes. She returned with candles and small crocs to hold butter and keep it warm for the lobster, but 1 of the candles did not light. She said she'd grab another candle, but did not return with one--instead, she brought our lobsters about 15 minutes after that.

Yes, we all ordered lobster.

It came with roasted asparagus and potato gratin. We were disappointed with our entrees. The lobster and potatoes were barely warm. The asparagus was at room temperature. The lobster had a rubbery texture, as if it had been steamed and allowed to sit for a while afterward.

I just got the feeling from the uneven nature of our service and the temperature and texture of our entrees that it had been plated and ready to bring out for quite some time, but had been allowed to sit and cool before it was brought to us. Combine that with our server's reaction when she learned we were on the DDP, and I got the feeling she was blowing us off because we were on DDP and she was guaranteed a tip regardless. It was the only time we've eaten on DDP at WDW and had that feeling.

We might have said something to our server, but we didn't get the chance. After she brought our plates, we didn't see her again. She didn't return to fill our empty drink glasses, to ask how our meals were or to take our dessert orders. She just stayed gone. And gone. And gone.

By this time it was 11:05. We were almost 2 hours into our meal, and not only had our server not even taken our dessert order, but given that she'd been gone for so long, we had no idea when or if she might return to our table. We were concerned that if taking our dessert order and bringing our dessert orders went with the same efficiency (or lack thereof) as things had gone to this point, we might miss Disney transportation back to our resort. Around 11:15 DW said she'd take the boys back to the MK bus stop via the monorail and let me order desserts to go. A couple of minutes after they left, our server finally returned and asked if I'd like dessert.

I ordered 2 almond-crusted cheesecakes and 2 key-lime creme brulees--to go. I finally left the restaurant around 11:35, 2 hours and 20 minutes after we started dinner, with desserts in hand. I didn't take pics of these because we didn't eat them until the following afternoon, for a snack. It's probably not fair to comment since we didn't eat them until much later, but I will say that I enjoyed the cheesecake and think it would've been awesome if we'd been able to eat them when intended.

So, to summarize our experience at Narcoosees:

1. Wonderful atmosphere;
2. Magical venue for viewing the water pageant and Wishes;
3. Great appetizers;
4. Inattentive service which probably resulted in
4a. mediocre entrees and
4b. unsatisfactory dessert experience.

I read so many positive reviews of Narcoosees that I have to believe our experience is the exception rather than the rule. I think our dinner here probably would've been much more positive if we'd had a different server.

Would we try it here again? We could never afford to do it OOP, and I'm not sure if I'd want to spend another 2 TS credits in the hopes that it would be better, especially with the upcoming DDP changes.

The cost for this meal OOP for the 4 of us (not counting DW's glass of wine) would've been $344.56, excluding tip. If we were on the 2008 version of the DDP, we would've had to pay about $47 for the appetizers and $52 for the tip, for a total of $99 OOP. Add to that the $155 we would've had to pay OOP for appetizers/tips on this trip so far, and at this point we'd be paying $254 more OOP in 08 to have the same dining experience we'd had so far on this August 07 trip.

Next: We return to 2 old favorites

 

[FirstMagic]

Thanks for the great reviews and pictures! You have some pictures of things we ate that I didn't get a picture of, so its like a walk down food memory lane to see them again. I like your honest opinions on how you and your family liked their food!

 

[OKWMom]

I'm so very sorry about your experience at Narcoossee's. We have eaten there on our last three trips and have been well pleased each time. I hope we don't get the same server you did on our visit.

My father is going with us and I have planned a dinner there so he can see the water pagent for the first time in over 20 years and so we can see Wishes from the restaurant. I hope the food and service live up to my descriptions to him. (Keeping my fingers crossed).

I've been enjoying your reviews of this trip and I enjoyed your reviews of last year's trip. Your descriptions have been fair and I have found them very helpful.

 

[Illuminations_Rocks]

wow those lobsters must be expensive!!! I'd say the signatures are the reason for the DDP changes - look at all that extra cash you'd have in tip on that one!

anyway, good reviews as always. Sorry about your lackluster service at Narcoosee's. The DDP brush-off is not cool. I can't believe how long it took for you to even order dessert!

 

[lexmelinda]

Great minds certainly think alike!

We also ate at CHH and Narcoossee's during our September trip!!

RE: CHH...good food as always and a nice, cool, quiet break from the MK in the upstairs dining room. This year DD and I split the tuna salad sandwich and the hummus/broccoli slaw sandwich and I have to say the hummus sandwich won hands down. The apple crisp was really good!

RE: Narcoossee's....DD14 chose it as her birthday dinner. Our ADR was at 6pm and the restaurant was pretty empty. We were on the upper tier next to the bar. Our server, Nelson, gave us the absolute best service we had the entire week. He treated DD like a princess, kept bowing to her, and made a huge fuss over her birthday...which was printed on our menus.

I had the mussels for an app...which were out of the world delicious. DD14 and I had the lobster and I have to say the cheesy potatoes seemed an odd pairing. (I'd prefer rice pilaf.) DD17 had the crab crusted halibut and gave a big "mmmm" with every bite she took. The almond crusted cheesecake was the best cheesecake I have ever had! Bar none! And the presentation was divine! Have you seen a picture? With the little edible sugar screen of Cinderella as a back drop? Absolutely wonderful!!! I'm just so sorry your server ruined what could have been an awesome experience.

But I agree...we could never afford to do this dinner OOP. With tip it was $268 for the three of us. I left extra for Nelson so actually it was a little more. Anyway....what a difference the server makes!?

As an FYI...While we were at Narcoossee's, DS went to the Mouseketeer Club at the GF. You'd think the kid's club at the GF would be the best anywhere?! Nope. What a let-down after the Neverland Club! Take the extra few minutes to take the little kids to the Poly!

 

[SorcererDonald16]

Great review and pictures! Really enjoyed reading it so far.

Maybe you can answer this question for me about Crystal Palace, maybe not, but I figured it was worth a try to ask. I like prime rib, but I have to have mine well done. The mere sight of rare or even pink meat makes me queasy. Do you happen to know if they also offered prime rib on the well done side? Or if you could ask for a serving of it to be cooked more for you? Thanks in advance!

 

[disneyfan551]

Loving your reviews!!